About a dozen students from Ohio Technical College’s High Performance and Racing Program spent the weekend at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio working for various teams during the Pirelli World Challenge.

Part of the training OTC students receive is the real-world experience, and for many of them who worked in the pits this weekend, that was as real as it gets. Not even the Saturday down pour that shortened race day could dampen the excitement surrounding this opportunity.

Ohio Tech’s racing program students were treated as team members, decked out in brand sponsor shirts and given responsibilities that are crucial to the success of the driver and the car.

“We can talk all we want in the classroom about how to conduct yourself as a member of a expert race team, but the experience these students had really drives home the importance of being a professional at all times,” says Steve McBride, Director of  OTC’s High Performance and Racing program. “Many of the contacts these students made over the weekend could led to other opportunities for them, and even a position on a team after they graduate.”

This race will air at 1:30pm on NBCSN on Sunday, August 10th.